Are you spending way too much time and mental energy thinking about “what should I cook for dinner tonight?” I feel you. It can be such a time and energy drain! But I’ve got some simple solutions for you. I’ve compiled this list of Quick and Easy Dinner ideas, so you can crush your goals, eat better, save money, feel like a superhero, and still have a little time to put your feet up at the end of the day. 😊
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
The Best Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
The criteria for making this list include:
- Short ingredient list
- Fast (about 30 minutes)
- Easy recipes suitable for beginners
- Comprised of mostly pantry staples, so you can whip them up on the fly
And by “pantry staples” I mean items that are shelf-stable so you can keep them on hand without worrying they’ll spoil. This can be dry goods (actual pantry), refrigerator items that have a long shelf life, or items that can be stashed in the freezer for a rainy day. Check out my list of Pantry Staples so you can get a good idea of what to stock up on for fast weeknight dinners.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with your browser’s bookmark feature, you’re going to want to keep these quick and easy weeknight dinners handy!!
Easy Pesto Chicken and Vegetables
Easy Pesto Chicken and Vegetables – This dish cooks up fast and easy like a stir fry, but is flavored with basil pesto and Parmesan. It’s hearty, healthy, and delicious! You can eat it on its own as a lower-carb meal, or spoon it over rice or pasta. Total Time: 30 min. Number of Ingredients: 11
Homemade Meatballs Recipe
Homemade Meatballs – These are the classic meatballs I like to add to all sorts of meals for an easy protein boost. They’re already quick to prep, but I recommend making them ahead of time and freezing a batch, so you can make dinnertime go even faster. Total Time: 45 min. Number of Ingredients: 9
Black Bean Chili
Weeknight Black Bean Chili – Chili is such a classic and total family pleaser and this black bean version is also a winner. You can keep almost all of these ingredients on hand, ready to go, and make use of anything you might have leftover in the fridge for toppings, like sour cream, shredded cheese, green onions, or tortilla chips. Total Time: 35 min. Number of Ingredients: 12
One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
Cheeseburger Pasta Skillet – This super easy one-pot pasta will bring all the comfort food vibes back from your childhood. It’s like a homemade version of hamburger helper, made totally from scratch, but somehow just as easy as the boxed version. WIN. Total Time: 30 min. Number of ingredients: 10
Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken Spaghetti – I always have some chicken breast, a box of spaghetti, and these other simple ingredients on hand. So if I need a quick dinner idea that doesn’t require a trip to the grocery store (who has time for that?), I know I can throw this casserole together in 10 minutes flat and let the oven do the cooking. Total Time: 1 hour. Number of Ingredients: 12
Curried Chickpeas with Spinach
Curried Chickpeas with Spinach – You won’t believe the flavor in this dish, despite the incredibly short ingredient list! It’s kind of amazing how just a little curry powder and tomato sauce can turn into something so fantastic. No time to make rice to go along with it? Serve this with pita or naan bread to make things even easier. Total Time: 25 min. Number of Ingredients: 8
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Taco Soup – This quick and easy soup is my tried-and-true dinner recipe. This one has really never let me down! It’s made up of pantry staples (like canned goods and convenient seasoning mixes) plus some ground beef, so it’s the simplest ingredients list. Total Time: 40 min. Number of Ingredients: 10
Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles
Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles – Seriously, forget take out. You can do better at home, with only SEVEN ingredients and 25 minutes (it takes longer to order delivery anyway, ammiright?). You can easily adjust the spiciness of these noodles, or toss in any extra vegetables you might have in your fridge. Total Time: 25 min. Number of Ingredients: 7
Beef Stroganoff
One Pot Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff – This super creamy and savory pasta cooks all in one pot so not only are you going to spend less time cooking, but you’ll spend less time cleaning up! Total Time: 30 min. Number of ingredients: 11
Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry – Stir fries are the epitome of fast weeknight dinners! This Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry has gone viral because it’s incredible flavor and easy prep. To make things even easier, grab a bag of coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) so you can just toss it in the skillet and skip all the chopping! Total Time: 30 min. Number of Ingredients: 14
Southwest Chicken Skillet
Southwest Chicken Skillet – This is another great “rotisserie chicken helper” type meal. It comes together quickly, is full of flavor, uses just a handful of ingredients, and is as satisfying as that burrito bowl you were going to order from Chipot… er… that restaurant. Total Time: 25 min. Number of Ingredients: 8
Easy Dumpling Soup
Dumpling Soup – If you have 10 minutes, you can throw together this flavorful soup in a rush. I love keeping frozen dumplings on hand for meal ideas like this. I just add broth, seasonings, and whatever toppings I can cobble together from my fridge or pantry. So easy! Total Time: 10 min. Number of Ingredients: 6
Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan
Bacon and Spinach Pasta with Parmesan – It’s amazing how just a little bacon and Parmesan can transform plain pasta into something crave-worthy. And I like to throw in a little spinach just for good measure. ;) Total Time: 30 min. Number of Ingredients: 6
Sheet Pan Kielbasa Potatoes and Green Beans
Sheet Pan Kielbasa, Potatoes, and Green Beans – While this dish does take a little longer than 30 minutes to make, the hands time is very minimal, as is the ingredient list. Just six simple ingredients and you have an incredibly flavorful and filling dinner! Total Time: 45 min. Number of Ingredients: 6
Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup – When the chilly weather hits, there’s nothing like a hearty bowl of warm soup for dinner. Add some crusty bread and you have a super easy and filling meal. Plus, the leftovers are great! Total Time: 30 min. Number of Ingredients: 8
Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks
Baked Chicken Drumsticks – I think of this as my emergency meal because all it requires is some chicken and a few things from my spice cabinet, and absolutely no thought to make. I can quickly throw these in the oven and add a simple side dish, like rice or a salad. Total Time: 45 min. Number of Ingredients: 6
Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
Spaghetti Carbonara – A handful of ingredients, the easiest steps, and 25 minutes? That’s music to my ears when I have no time to make dinner. This is one of my longest-running, most-affordable dinner ideas, and it’s never failed me! Total Time: 25 min. Number of Ingredients: 5
Blackened Salmon with Zucchini
Blackened Salmon and Zucchini – A healthy dose of herbs and spices take this salmon to the next level! It cooks in minutes in a skillet, and then the zucchini is sautéed in the same skillet so none of those spices go to waste. It’s fast, efficient, and has very little clean up! Total Time: 30 min. Number of Ingredients: 13
Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta
Creamy Tomato and Spinach Pasta – Super simple and satisfying, this creamy tomato and spinach pasta hits all the marks for a weeknight dinner. If you want to punch it up a bit you can always add some rotisserie chicken or Italian sausage! Total Time: 25 min. Number of Ingredients: 14
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Creamy Garlic Chicken – No matter how short on time you might be, this recipe is proof that a nice dinner is still achievable! The creamy, garlicky sauce is delectable and everything comes together with simple steps, in a little over half an hour. Total Time: 40 min. Number of Ingredients: 8
Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen
Vegan Creamy Mushroom Ramen – This recipe is the ultime instant ramen hack. It’s so fast, so simple, and so incredibly creamy and delicious! Plus it’s flexible and allows you to use up odds and ends of other ingredients in your fridge. Total Time: 15 min. Number of Ingredients: 8
Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet
Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet – Another easy one pot dish with very little clean up!! There is so much flavor in this spicy and rich rice dish that you’ll keep coming back for more and more. And the leftovers are just as good the next day! Total Time: 45 min. Number of Ingredients: 14
Eggplant Mozzarella Sandwiches
Eggplant Mozzarella Sandwiches – This is an easy vegetarian meal that even your meat-eaters will love! It’s hearty, tasty, and topped with tons of melty mozzarella. Who would say no to that?? Total Time: 40 min. Number of Ingredients: 10
Pasta with Peas and Ham
Pasta with Peas and Ham – Busy weeknights are so much easier with recipes like this! I can just grab a couple of things from my pantry and fridge, and I’ll have a meal ready in less than 30 minutes. Total Time: 25 min. Number of Ingredients: 6
Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
Homemade Mac and Cheese – Skip the boxed stuff, because you can make the cheesiest macaroni from scratch just as quickly–and it tastes so much better! This is my kind of weeknight meal when I’m craving comfort. Total Time: 25 min. Number of Ingredients: 7
Easy Teriyaki Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken – This takeout-inspired recipe has the shortest ingredients list imaginable, but it leads to the tastiest chicken. Marinating adds a little bit of time to the total, but this cooks in 15 minutes, and it’s perfect to serve with some instant rice for a simple dinner idea. Total Time: 55 min. Number of Ingredients: 5
And just for fun, here is ONE MORE quick and easy dinner idea for you (see the full blog post for this recipe here):
Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Servings 3Ingredients
- 8 oz. pasta* ($0.63)
- 6 oz. bacon ($2.06)
- 1 small onion ($0.32)
- 1 cup frozen peas ($0.50)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.01)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and continue to boil until the pasta is tender (7-10 minutes). Reserve about a half cup of the starchy pasta water before draining the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta is boiling, cook the bacon. Add the bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Drain most of the bacon grease from the pan, leaving about 2 Tbsp.
- While the bacon is cooking, finely dice the onion. Add the diced onion to the remaining bacon grease and sauté until tender (about 5 minutes).
- Add the frozen peas and about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Continue to cook and stir until the peas have heated through.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet, stir to combine, and remove from the heat.
- Top the pasta with Parmesan, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and crumbled bacon. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Feel free to share your go-to weeknight dinner recipes for other readers to enjoy in the comments below. :) The more the merrier!
Thank you, Beth & Team. I’ve been looking for exactly this sort of recipe compilation for months and months. And I’ve made and served BB recipes numerous times before, so I know the quality of the product will be first-rate. I think I’m in love with you all.
I just made this exactly as written except I only had a shallot and small sized shells but it was soooo delicious. Simple and easy! Absolutely will make again. Thank you 😊
This recipe reminds me of my childhood. Mom use to make it, Beth’s directions are so simple love this
My husband doesn’t care for peas but had 3 bowls of this. I did add a little bit of chicken broth.
Very tasty:) Bacon is a nice touch!
How much would I have to multiply for this to be enough for 5 people?
Hi Rem- I would need to know what recipe you are trying to make. Since most serve four, I recommend multiplying by 1.5 and saving leftovers for the next day. You can also use the tool in the recipe card that allows you to adjust servings. XOXO -Monti
I definitely will be trying some of these great looking recipes.
Love these recipes! Lot of these are on regular rotation in my house, I’d just add the herb tomato soup to it or a classic cottage pie.
Any chance of getting metric conversions on the site in the future?
Would love to see a “recipe file” option on your website so I can save recipes and refer to them quickly when I have ingredients I need to use up. Thank you.
Thanks for the suggestion Geri! We’ll see what we can do.
I’m going to print all these out and make a mini cookbook with them. Several of them are already favourites in this house.
What a great line-up of recipes. Can’t wait to give these a try as lack of time and energy to cook is why we eat out way too often. Thanks so much.
Your frittata recipes are just the best, and have become my go-to weeknight recipe. Whenever I have leftover roasted veggies, proteins, really anything I just put them in the cast iron skillet, add some cheese, and add the 6 cup egg to 1/4 cup milk you tend to use in most of your recipes. By the time its out of the oven the house smells awesome and I’m ready to go! We eat them once a week usually, and even when I don’t have meat I usually have a bag of chopped kale in the fridge and TJ’s bagged sundried tomatoes in my pantry – how yummy!
I love it! Great idea!
Your timing is perfect! I just sat down to make my weekly shopping list and I always go to your site first. This week: DONE!!!!